Amateurs use AI models to crack decades-old Enigma-era ciphers
Non-expert enthusiasts, including a product development coach named Carter Leffen, are using large language models such as GPT-6 Astra to decode historical encrypted messages, including a German army Enigma cipher that had remained unsolved for 85 years. The AI systems deploy decryption algorithms and search online for supporting historical records, allowing users without cryptography training to attempt and sometimes succeed at codebreaking tasks.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The trend suggests AI tools are lowering the barrier to specialized technical work once reserved for trained cryptanalysts, potentially accelerating historical research. However, cryptography expert Elonka Dunin notes that professionals are now fielding a flood of incorrect AI-generated solutions, which could strain the small community of specialists who must verify these claims.
- Non-experts are using AI models like GPT-6 Astra to decode historical ciphers.
- A Leffen-assisted AI solved an 85-year-old unsolved German Enigma message.
- Experts warn of a surge in false-positive solutions overwhelming cryptanalysts.
Enigma Machine Replica Kit — If stories of codebreaking and WWII cryptography fascinate you, a working Enigma replica lets you experience firsthand how those messages were scrambled before AI could crack them. It's a tangible way to connect with the history behind this new wave of amateur codebreaking.
See Enigma Machine Replica Kit on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: nature.com — Glickman, 2026-10-16
Published there as: “History’s long-secret codes are being cracked by amateurs using AI”
Read the original report → The summary and analysis above are GoKawiil's own, written from reporting by the source above. Facts and quotes belong to the original publisher.